Challenges to national defence in contemporary geopolitical situation

The paper examines the role of Polish artillery in a multi-domain battlefield. It uses literature and doctrinal analysis to assess how integration across land, air, sea, space, cyber, and cognitive domains affects artillery effectiveness. Findings show that artillery is increasingly dependent on interoperability, information flow, and systemic resilience. The study highlights new threats and opportunities, including A2/AD development. It concludes that multi-domain integration, rather than firepower alone, determines future combat effectiveness.

This paper examines the role of training programme accreditation in enhancing interoperability within NATO. A case study of the Slovak JTAC programme supported by SWOT analysis and document review was applied. In this paper we have found that accreditation improves procedural standardisation, technological compatibility and operational performance, while revealing resource and organisational challenges. The study expands understanding of interoperability through a multi-layered framework as a research implication. Recommendations support optimisation of training, resource use and capability development which is a clear practical implication. Originality and value have been achieved by providing a unique empirical view of accreditation as a key tool for strengthening NATO's interoperability.

The paper examines the role of the University of Defence as the academic engine of a Multi-Domain Concept Centre supporting Multi-Domain Operations in a small-state context. Using document and comparative analysis and stakeholder workshops, it proposes a Concept Development and Experimentation–driven framework integrating doctrine, experimentation, capability planning, and education. Findings show that academic leadership enhances methodological rigor, interoperability, and knowledge transfer. The paper presents an original NATO-aligned model for sustainable multi-domain concept development.

The present article examines the implementation of small unmanned aerial systems into tactical units of the Czech Armed Forces, with a focus on the systemic capabilities that such integration brings to the areas of doctrine, organization, training, equipment, leadership, personnel, facilities and infrastructure, and interoperability. Systematic reviews and structured qualitative coding are used to derive implementation measures, which are then validated by field and academic experts and prioritized. The findings indicate that priorities extend across all domains and must inform Czech Armed Forces processes and procedures.

Organizational processes are often described as being “top-down” or “bottom-up”. At the level of EU integration relations between EU and member-state institutions can also be conceptualized in these terms. European integration is based on decisions made by representatives of its member-states and member-states have a large degree of discretion in the implementation of EU policies. This gives off an appearance of a “bottom-up” quality to pan-European policy. But when it comes to part and parcel of public administration many national government agencies can only perceive this process “top-down”. The complexity of policy design process and absence of co-ordination of how national agencies go about their business means that policy adoption is seldom straightforward across member-states. Once policies are set in motion, there are limited possibilities of review stemming from the “bottom”. In some sense, this is the story of the road to Brexit. The paper claims that current challenges to European integration may in part be attributed to this institutional setup. This paper revisits the concept of European Administrative Space to see if it can be framed in terms of “bottom-up” integration, whereby essentially member states would be encouraged to test their proposed national reforms from the point of view of EUfriendliness. Proliferation of such a practice would not require any major legal change or governance process standardization. With proper monitoring the practice could augment the existing international co-operation between government agencies by opening venues for cost sharing, and streamlining the “top-down” policy decisions once political will becomes available.